Teddy Wongs Dumplings & Wine

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Chinese Cuisine, Shaped by Texas

The name on the door belongs to a legend, not a biography. Wang Lao Xiong — a Chinese immigrant who found work on a ranch along the Chisholm Trail — was nicknamed Teddy Wong by the cowboys who loved his campfire dumplings. That story, part myth and entirely deliberate, sets the tone for everything at Teddy Wong's Dumplings & Wine on Fort Worth's West Rosedale Street: Chinese technique meeting Texas fire, not as a novelty, but as a genuine way of cooking and welcoming people.

The People Behind the Plates

The restaurant is owned and operated by two sets of partners. Lori and Kevin Cates oversee vision, operations, and growth, with a stated commitment to protecting the experience at every scale. Chef Patrick Ru is the culinary authority — a co-owner and self-described Dumpling Master whose standards are enforced by ownership, not delegated. Dumplings are made by hand daily. Peking duck is seasoned and roasted for crisp skin and deep flavor. Nothing leaves the kitchen, the team says, unless it earns its place.

That owner-led intensity has earned real recognition. Teddy Wong's holds a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence — a distinction that reflects the seriousness of the wine program alongside the Chinese cuisine — and has been named Restaurant of the Year by Culture Map's TasteMaker Awards, as well as Best Restaurant in Fort Worth by Fort Worth Eats.

The Room and the List

The atmosphere is designed to feel alive. The menu is meant to be ordered generously — shared dishes, high heat, handmade food built for a table that's having a good time. Happy hour runs Monday through Friday, with thoughtfully priced pours and the same care applied to the rest of the menu.

The drinks program goes well beyond the expected. Mixologist Misha Nowell has brought wine-based cocktails to the menu — including "The South Sea," a tropical sangria spritz, and the "Terracotta Warrior," a sake old fashioned — using fresh, dish-inspired ingredients that echo the kitchen's own sensibility. The wine list, recognized by Wine Spectator, is also available to-go at a discount, a detail that says something about how seriously the team takes accessibility alongside quality.

General Manager Charisse Henry, certified by both the Court of Master Sommeliers and WSET, joined in 2025 to lead hospitality — bringing over two decades of experience and a reputation for dynamic wine programs.

What to Expect

Teddy Wong's is an owner-led Chinese restaurant that takes its craft seriously without taking itself too seriously. The cooking is rooted in technique but never fussy. The room has energy. The promise, whether it's your first visit or your tenth, is confident food, warm hospitality, and a place that feels unmistakably itself.

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